How Do You Become an Amazon Relay Driver?

 

Amazon Relay Requirements

• An Active DOT identification number and MC number (operating authority) with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
• A carrier entity that is authorized for hire and property
• A safety rating by the FMCSA of “none,” “not rated,” or “satisfactory.”
• Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASIC) scores:
• •  – Unsafe Driving below 60%
  • – HOS Compliance below 60%
  • – Vehicle Maintenance below 75%
• Have the necessary insurance coverage

  Additionally, Amazon also requires carriers to perform at the highest level of safety and efficiency. This means:

• Complying with DOT, safety, and insurance requirements
• Making deliveries on time
• Ensuring that all deliveries are made using Amazon Relay technology

Amazon Relay Insurance Requirements

• Commercial general liability – at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 in aggregate.
• Auto liability  –  at least $1,000,000 per occurrence including trailer replacement coverage at least $50,000
• Cargo coverage – of damaged Amazon products = at least $100,000
• Workers Compensation – Workers’ compensation insurance in all jurisdictions where your company operates.
• Employer Liability – not less than $100,000 per occurrence.

Note- Many companies purchase more than the minimum insurance coverage for Amazon Relay. Especially if they wish to keep the actual value of the truck if their truck was stolen or in an accident. The right insurance company can help you maximize your potential as an Amazon Relay driver by helping to ensure that you meet all the requirements and carry the insurance necessary to protect yourself and grow your business.  

How Do You Become an Amazon Relay Driver?

The trucking industry can be lucrative, especially with more and more people ordering deliveries to their homes. If you have a carrier business or are thinking about starting one, you might be looking for ways to grow and expand your new business. In modern times, one way to do so is by joining Amazon Relay and becoming an Amazon Relay Driver. Amazon Relay helps transportation companies grow and owners-operators book business. However, there are requirements to qualify, including having the right insurance coverage. Always consult with an insurance specialist about your Amazon Relay insurance needs.  

What is Amazon Relay?

Amazon Relay is a program that allows carriers to do any of the following:

1. Obtain short-term contracts to ensure drivers have full work weeks and guarantee revenue weeks in advance.
2. Post an idle truck’s availability so Relay can book loads that match the truck and its free time.
3. Review available loads on the load board and instantly book work from the selection exclusively available to Amazon Relay drivers.

All of this is highly convenient and provides guaranteed revenue for trucking companies. Individuals can also use Amazon Relay if they are official operators.  

Amazon Relay Insurance for Truckers

The following are the minimum amount of insurance your trucking company must purchase to be eligible to join Amazon Relay. Minimum amounts are only the beginning of what you should consider purchasing. In many cases, it might be appropriate to have significantly higher coverage, and you should discuss your specific needs with a truck insurance specialist at Panorama Northridge, CA.  

The Amazon Relay App: What It Does and How It Works

The Amazon Relay app is designed specifically to allow truckers to pick up and unload packages at Amazon warehouses across the country. Amazon Relay connects millions of truck drivers directly with Amazon, and the idea behind it is to keep cargo moving seamlessly through the amazon network and on to its final destinations as quickly as safely possible. Truck drivers enter their cargo details into the Relay app, which provides them with a QR code. This code allows truckers to bypass the clunky step of badging into Amazon facilities manually. Many Amazon warehouses now sport dedicated Relay lanes that further expedite the process. Traditionally, the truck delivery process has relied on phone calls and complicated paperwork to move cargo, which leaves it vulnerable to error, and Relay is Amazon’s focused attempt at further automating the process. It’s estimated that about 80 percent of cargo in this country is moved by truck, which makes trucking a primary industry that employs millions of drivers moving inter and intrastate. The Amazon Relay program serves as the first point of connection between the supply giant and millions of potential drivers. Amazon is not shy about its desire to have delivery superpowers, and toward this end, it’s made all the following moves:

1. Purchasing thousands of branded tractor-trailers of its own
2. Purchasing dozens of cargo planes
3. Gaining minority stakes in two cargo airlines in its Prime Air endeavors
4. Launching new Amazon delivery services, such as Amazon Flex, Relay, and Prime, that handle its own shipping.

Although Amazon originally turned nearly exclusively to the United States Postal Service to build its impressive empire, it’s taking on more and more of its own delivery, and Amazon Relay is part of the process.  

Amazon Relay Application

You can download the Amazon Relay App on Google Play, and on the Apple store. The steps are really simple and intuitive: after installing it on your mobile device just sign-up and fill up the application form. Then you will get a confirmation code in your email and you will be all set to pick up loads. The app comes with all the features you need for a successful load delivery plan, although there are some pointers from real amazon drivers in order to improve your load score. IMPORTANT NOTICE ⚠️: When you log in and you set up your Relay account make sure you set up a Business Bank Account, if you don’t have a Business Bank Account to your LLC name, you’re gonna run into all kinds of issues getting paid.  

How Can Truckers Take the Most Benefit from the App?

Relay offers truckers a range of benefits that include:

1. High-quality commercial navigation that is designed for truckers
2. Load notifications and load history
3. Hassle-free check-in and check-out processes with electronic in-yard instructions that decrease lag time at the gate and in the yard
4. The ability to automatically generate a report of delivery disruption to dispatch
5. Automatically generated invoices, proof of delivery, and bills of lading

In other words, one of the clearest benefits of Relay is the way it allows smaller business carriers and owner-operators to cut through a lot of the red tape associated with broker transparency regulations and to focus on their bread and butter – picking up and delivering loads. Additionally, Relay’s dashboard includes performance scores that allow truckers to review their performance across loads in order to continuously improve and have the opportunity to grow (their) business with Amazon. Relay also allows you to tighten up your financials by providing you with a definitive turnaround day for payment on each successfully delivered load. In an industry in which this turnaround can become a real financial burden, payments that are paid according to a schedule you can count on can prove invaluable. Ultimately, Amazon boasts high growth potential, world-class technology, and transparent payments that reduce the work on your end. Amazon recognizes that, in order to continue supporting its immense business presence and growth, it needs truck drivers – and a lot of them. The Relay program is in response to this need, and it is designed to be a straightforward platform that allows truckers to optimize their operations by increasing their routes, expanding their overall business, and minimizing empty trips to the degree possible.

Should You Join the Amazon Relay Program?

If you own a box truck or are considering renting one and becoming a trucking company, Amazon Relay makes it easier than it’s ever been before. And working closely with a seasoned insurance agency that has extensive experience in this arena can play an important role in your success. One of the primary matters, if you are considering diving into Amazon Relay, is discussing your concerns and options with a dedicated truck insurance provider. The fact is that the Amazon Relay Insurance Cost of your policy will vary considerably depending on whether you own your rig, have a term lease, or are renting. Your policy will dictate what you are able to do with your trucking business, which makes it a critical component of your success. There are several apps that go along with the Relay app and you may use them to help you program the best routes, roads, loads, timing, weather, etc.

• • • • Google Route Planner- a perfect companion for your Relay App among others.

 

Best Trucks for Amazon Relay

Amazon Relay has specific requirements when it comes to What type of equipment Amazon works with?

Tractors

The following tractor types qualify for Relay:

• Day cab trucks
• 26-foot box trucks, which must have tuck-under lift gates and interior cargo dimensions of at least 26’x8’x8’
• Sleeper cab trucks

Note: Cannot operate anything smaller than a 24-foot for Amazon Relay.

Trailers

The following trailer types qualify for Relay:

• 28-foot trailers
• 53-foot dry vans
• Reefers

 

A Good Time to Deliver

There has likely never been a more lucrative or better time to be in the business of moving cargo in the United States. The pandemic changed the way we think about shopping at every level – from shopping for daily necessities to big-ticket items like furniture and cars and everything in between. There’s been a decisive shift toward online shopping. Consider the following statistics shared by CSA: The Business of Retail (reporting on Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index):

• In 2021, parcel volume in the United States grew 6 percent, reaching a record high of 21.5 billion.
• In 2021, carrier revenues were higher than any prior year, weighing in at $188 billion.
• 2021 saw a 16 percent increase in carrier revenues over 2020.
• In 2021, 59 million parcels were generated in the U.S. each day, compared to 56 million in 2020.
• The United States Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS continue to move the lion’s share of parcels throughout the country.
• Carriers identified as other, including Amazon Relay trucks, increased their revenue by 95 percent in 2021.

In other words, it’s a good time to get into the cargo trucking industry, and Amazon Relay may offer you the opportunity to start your own business, be your own boss, and cash in on the parcel delivery explosion.  

A Driver Shortage

There is a well-established shortage of truck drivers in the United States, and Amazon is feeling the pinch. Amazon’s Relay program is its attempt to find and keep well-qualified, safe truckers on its rosters, which puts drivers in a good position to demand better terms and conditions. Because truckers are in high demand, now is a good time to consider the advantages associated with Amazon Relay.  

Convenience 

  The Amazon Relay Program offers members considerable convenience that cuts out time spent languishing in lines and allows you to get in, get out and get rolling off the Amazon facility with far greater ease.

Control

  Relay supports built-in control for drivers by providing short-term contracts that you can mix and match to your advantage and availability. Further, if you share when you and your rig are available on the app, Relay will get to work automatically booking loads that work within the criteria you set. Finally, the Relay load board provides a transparent, overall view of all the details that matter to you as a driver, including:  

• 1. A vast array of work across Amazon’s entire freight network
  2. Clear pricing
  3. Work that is available with the tap of your app

  With the benefits of the Relay program, it is no surprise that many drivers are jumping at the chance to participate. However, it is critical to have the proper insurance coverage, as an accident without the right coverage can bankrupt you.  

Panorama Insurance Can Get You Fully Covered to Drive for Amazon Relay

Panorama Insurance can help you prepare for your Amazon Relay application by getting you the insurance policy coverage you need, regardless of which state you plan to operate in. We can ensure your policy meets all Amazon requirements and legal obligations. You focus on the road, and we’ll take care of you. Contact us today to learn more. Call: 818-781-6630.